Foot-ball



' 2,SheetsSheet 1. T. SVSHIBEV (No Model.)

FOOT BALL.

No. 537,129. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

Attorney.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. S. SHIRE.

FOOT BALL.

No. 537,129. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

THOMAS S. SHIBE, OF BALA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOOT-BALL.

SPECIFIGATION'for-ming part of Letters Patent No. 537,129, dated April 9, 1895.

Appli a i n fi d, November 5 {1894. Serial No. 527,919- (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. SHIBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bala, in

the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Balls; and I do doclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to inflated foot balls that are provlded with an outside cover; and the object of my improvement is to construct the cover and arrange the parts of the inflated ball in such a manner that the outside leather cover will present a smooth and even surface and have thereon no humps or exposed lacings that might scar or otherwise injure the faces of the players. To accomplish the desired result, I provide means for tucking the air tube or neck of the rubber bladder, snugly under the leather cover, after the ball has been inflated and soconstruct the vent part or lacing flaps that they can be laced together without any portion of the lacing cord being exposed on the outer surface of the cover. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of that part of the ball containing the vent or lacing flaps. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lacing flaps with the leather cover removed from over the lacing. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the'lacing flaps before it has the edge looped or doubled under and fastened back upon the other part of the cover. Fig. 4 is a-plan View of a modified form of the lacing flap, with the cover removed from the lacing. Fig. 5 is a cross sec-' tional 'view of the flap shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the middle of the ball showing the tube through which the inside bladder is inflated, tied and ready to be pulled under the leather cover. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the ball showing the air tube pulled down in position to allow the outside leather cover to be laced up. Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the air tube pulled down into place and the vent in the outside cover laced up and the ball ready for use.

A, is the inside rubber bladder which is of the usual construction.

a, is the air tube forming the neck of the bladder.

B, is the outside leather cover.

A, A are the two parts of the leather cover, forming the vent or lacing flaps.

a, a are the looped or doubled under parts of the flaps A and A that form the loops through which the lacing cord passes.

1), 17 are two rows of lacing holes, one row in the edge of each of the lacing flaps A,

and A c and 0 are two rows of holes on the outside of the lacing flaps A and A Through these holes the free ends of the vent lacing cord d, are passed so as to easily get from one of the lacing holes I) or b to the next adjoining lacing hole, when lacing up the flaps A and A to close the vent in the cover.

b, is a leather loop sewed on the under side of the flap A c, is a cordpassing through the loop 19, and having one end thereof free and the other end secured in the doubled over part of the tube or neck 0., of the rubber bladder A. See Fig. 6.

B, is a leather flap, loose at one edge thereof and having the opposite edge sewed to the outside cover B, under the lacing flap A. Thisflap is provided with a circular opening through which the air tube (1, passes.

The ball and cover being constructed as shown, the cord 0, is first passed through the loop b, after which the rubber bladder is inflated as tightly as desired and the air tube a, doubled over and tied with a string to prevent the escape of the air. (See Fig. 6.) One end of the cord 0, is passed through the loop in the air tube a, and securely tied therein. The free end of the cord is then drawn out until the air tube or neck a, of the bladder is in position shown in Fig. 7. The lacing cord (1, is then laced in the flaps A and A passing through the loops or openings in the abutting edges of said flaps in the position shown in Fig. 2. After the edges of flaps A and A have been laced up and drawn together, the

lacing cord, d, is tied in a secure knot at It, and the free ends thereof passed up through the holes 0 and c and afterward cut off close to the cover in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

After the flaps A and A are drawn together the cord 0, is also cut oif close to the cover.

When properly laced up, the ball will present the appearance shown in Fig. 1, with the edges of the flaps drawn close together and nothing outside of the cover to injure the face of the player.

Instead of forming the lacing loops for the vent flaps by looping or doubling under the edges of the leather cover, the said loops may be formed by stitching reinforcing pieces under the flaps A and A and joining the edges of the said reinforcing strips to the edges of the vent flaps by a row of stitches, leaving openings, at regular intervals, through which the lacing cord d, can be passed in and out, when lacing up the vent. hen constructed in this way it will be desirable to have stitched between the reinforcing strips and the outside of thecover, small semicircular pieces of leather around which the lacing cord passes, in the manner shown in Fig. t.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A cover for foot balls having vent lacing loops formed therein, by making the vent portion of the cover of two thicknesses of material joined together along the edges thereof and provided at intervals in the abutting edges with openings through which the lacing cord can pass from one lacing flap to the other, substantially as shown.

2. A cover for foot balls havinglacing loops formed by looping the ends of the lacing flaps and at intervals in the abutting edges of said lacing flap providing openings for the lacing cord to pass in and out, substantially as shown and described.

8. A cover for foot balls having the vent lacing flaps A and A provided with the looped parts a, a and having therein the lacing holes I) and b substantially as shown.

4. In a cover for foot balls the vent lacing flaps A, A having the looped parts a, a and the lacing holes I) and 19 in combination with a lacing cord d, passing through the loops formed in the flaps, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a cover for foot balls the vent lacing flaps A, A having the looped parts a, (1 the lacing holes I) and b and holes 0', 0 on the top of the cover, in combination with the lacing cord d, passing through the loops formed in the flaps, substantially as shown.

6. A cover for foot balls having the lacing flaps A and A provided on the under side thereof with reinforcing strips, said reinforcing strips and the flaps A and A being sewed together at the edges thereof and atintcrvals along said edges provided with openings to allow the lacing cord to pass in and out from one lacing flap to the other, substantially as shown.

7. A cover for foot balls having the vent lacing flaps A and A said flaps being provided on the under side thereof with reinforcing strips and between the flaps and the said reinforcing strips having secured at intervals a number of small pieces of leather around which the vent lacing cord may pass, substantially as shown.

8. A foot ball cover having secured on the under side of one of the lacing flaps, the loop 0, through which a cord may be passed for the purpose of drawing the neck of the bladder under said flap, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I ai'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS S. SIIIBE.

\Vitnesses:

THOS. D. MOWLDS, SAML. H. KIRKPATRICK. 

